It seems like you can’t turn around without reading yet another article about Big Data and how it is transforming our lives as business people and entrepreneurs. Big Data is everywhere: page views, visitors, clicks, eyeballs, cookies, the Twitter fire hose, cross referenced databases – you name it – we are inundated. A month or so ago there was an article in the Wall Street Journal about Data Scientists – the next Big Thing in occupations you wished you had gone into when you were first starting out. Companies are paying $200,000 to $300,000 a year for the privilege of employing these people to sift through mountains of data – overflowing warehouses of the stuff – to discern tiny shifts in consumer behavior that can translate into millions of dollars in sales if you get it right.

But first things first. You’ve got to make sure you are making money and creating cash flow. It doesn’t matter how good you get at mining data if you run out of cash in the process. If you haven’t done so already, read Philip Campbell’s classic book “Never Run Out of Cash.” He’s got a new one in the works on Financial Forecasting for CFOs and Controllers to help you turn financial analysis and forecasting into a strategic advantage for your company. We at SurvivalWare applaud Philip’s approach, and are determined to help you focus on the Right Data. Starting with a small amount of data – historical financial statements and a few key drivers – and combined with decent analysis and modeling – can produce big results. That’s right: small data, big results. SurvivalWare is a tool that can help make this happen.